Genre: Thriller/Crime
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Cast: Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Hunnam, Kate Mara, Sissy Spacek, Kris Kristofferson, Treat Williams
RunTime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes and Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.magpictures.com/deadfall/
Opening Day: 10 January 2013
Synopsis: Siblings Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) are on the run with the stolen cash from a casino heist gone wrong. Meanwhile, troubled ex-boxer Jay (Charlie Hunnam) heads for a Thanksgiving homecoming with his parents, June (Sissy Spacek) and retired sheriff Chet (Kris Kristofferson). What will happen when their worlds collide in a twist of fate.
Movie Review:
When a filmmaker behaves like a mad scientist and splices together the DNA of a cheap slasher film and a lovely-dovey drama, the result can be unpredictable. Will it be, as the combination so rightfully is, spellbinding or, as the idea so clearly sounds, repulsively weird? Deadfall answers this in the worst possible manner, proving that director Stefan Ruzowitzky is tragically out of his depth when it comes to bringing the best out of each genre and tying the loose ends into a tonally coherent movie. Not without its own (few) guilty pleasures, Deadfall isn’t the worst movie of the still-new year, and probably won’t be the biggest flop, but it may be the most unnecessary waste of everyone’s time.
It’s a shame because Deadfall has one of the highest star wattages for a Video on Demand movie (yes, it was released straight to set-top boxes in the US). Eric Bana – who you might recall as the star of Ang Lee’s ill-fated Hulk in 2003 – leads the charge as Addison, one half of a sibling pair which also includes Liza, played here by the beautiful Olivia Wilde. After their getaway car in a casino heist inadvertently overturns, Addison splits the loot and sends his sister off into the biting winter cold for reasons unknown. That’s actually as succinct a summary of Deadfall as you could ever hope to ask for, with the premise being so atypically elementary that you’re expected to believe without question that they will meet at some point later in the movie.
Promising his sister that he will call her once he crosses the border into Canada – roughly translated as telling her that he’s abandoning her – Addison truly comes into the league of an awful human being when he assails an innocent folk for his snowmobile and plunges police officers into death with a shotgun. Gritty and gruesome, Deadfall is at its most exciting when it’s shot through with the crimson palette so gleefully supplied by Addison’s psychopathic tendencies. Yet this cannot mask the listlessness of the movie’s direction. There’s a scene in which Addison sets the sights of his rifle on a mother and her helpless baby in the middle of a domestic dispute, only to decide that he needs to shoot the abusive stepfather. It presents a moral conundrum for Addison, but his motivations are never considered, much less explored further in any sort of serious way.
Perhaps it’s because Deadfall is divided so decisively into two very different threads concerning two very different individuals that the need to understand either Addison or Liza becomes lost in the frantic battle for storyline supremacy. And if that’s the case, then Liza’s sappy drama part will leave none feeling interested. Picked up by another fugitive after being left to freeze in the open by her brother, Liza is one part pitiful and ten parts slutty, beguiling her rescuer into having sex with her at a motel before trying to perform the same obnoxious trick on another driver the next day. It’s almost shocking that Wilde doesn’t know the worthiness of a movie better, giving unsuspecting viewers the first glimpse of her private part. Apart from the small bit of information about her childhood that you can take from the scant dialogue, there’s really nothing to suggest why Liza is the way she is.
Which brings me to the greatest challenge in watching Deadfall. The siblings are caricatured as single-minded robots, neither a genuine joy to watch as they – without the benefit of any proper catalyst for their actions – do things that make little sense. Sitting through the movie, there was a constant, if dim light of hope inside me that wanted to see how Ruzowitzky would wrap up a movie so contrasted in tone. If there’s any comfort in knowing, he does find a way to deliver a decent conclusion, but still Deadfall feels short of being convincing. As the entire cast sits around the dinner table for a Thanksgiving meal blighted by the catastrophic circumstances yet to come in the last scene, you can’t help but question if any of the characters might have even met each other before.
Movie Rating:
(Splicing together the DNA of a cheap slasher film and lovely-dovey drama, Deadfall is a repulsively weird movie that fails to come together)
Review by Loh Yong Jian
Genre: Martial-Arts
Director: RZA
Cast: RZA, Russell Crowe, Jamie Chung, Lucy Liu, Pam Grier, Rick Yune, Daniel Wu, Dave Bautista, Cung Le, Byron Mann
RunTime: 1 hr 35 mins
Released By: UIP
Rating: M18 (Violence And Sexual Scenes)
Official Website: http://www.ironfists.com/
Opening Day: 28 February 2013
Synopsis: Quentin Tarantino presents "The Man With the Iron Fists", an action-adventure inspired by kung-fu classics as interpreted by his longtime collaborators RZA and Eli Roth. Making his debut as a big-screen director and leading man, RZA-alongside a stellar international cast led by Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu-tells the epic story of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero in nineteenth-century China who must unite to destroy the clan traitor who would destroy them all. Since his arrival in China's Jungle Village, the town's blacksmith (RZA) has been forced by radical tribal factions to create elaborate tools of destruction. When the clans' brewing war boils over, the stranger channels an ancient energy to transform himself into a human weapon. As he fights alongside iconic heroes and against soulless villains, one man must harness this power to become savior of his adopted people.
Movie Review:
Despite the Quentin Tarantino presents’ label, “The Man with the Iron Fists” probably has little of the renowned director’s inputs. It’s more of a name-lending favor to his buddy and producer Eli Roth who co-wrote this martial-arts fest with musician-turned-filmmaker, RZA.
An obvious homage to the good old days of Shaw cinema (not referring to the Shaw chain of cinemas here) with an incredible retro-looking opening credits, the movie is full of nods to the wuxia genre given RZA himself is a fan of kung-fu and martial-arts films since young. Unfortunately by putting himself in the lead role and employing Russell Crowe as a fellow warrior makes this remake of classic Chinese martial-arts movies a tad hard to swallow.
A typical wuxia movie always has a lone hero hidden somewhere in a village. No prizes for guessing correctly who is the hero right here, RZA plays Jungle village’s blacksmith whose job is to craft weapons for the various clans ruling the region and his only desire is to free his lover, Lady Silk (Jamie Chung) from the local brothel run by Madam Blossom (Lucy Liu) once he made enough money.
When a story has a hero, there must be villains lurking. The Lion’s clan, Gold Lion (Chen Kuan Tai) is tasked by the Governor to protect a large shipment of gold but he is betrayed by his trusted men, Silver Lion (Bryon Mann) and Bronze Lion (Cung Le), both who are conspiring with the Governor’s evil aide, Poison Dagger (Daniel Wu). At the same time, the son of Gold Lion, Zen Yi (Rick Yune) learnt of his dad’s passing and vows revenge. As a strange whiteman named Jack (Russell Crowe) enters the village’s brothel, a showdown between good and evil awaits as this rather ambitious, 95 minutes movie tries to pack in as many characters and epic action scenes into it.
Motive is a blur except that everyone is after the gold and it does no justice that our main villain, Poison Dagger only appears in the beginning and towards the end. Our hero, a former slave who is saved by Shaolin monks and enlighten by the head abbot (none other than fan favourite Gordon Liu) after a shipwreck takes an eternity to become the man with the iron fists. Did I mention RZA looks more bored than anything all the time? Bond villain Rick Yune however gets to hog the limelight fighting a bunch of silly henchmen and an X-Men like villain, Brass Body (WWE wrestler David Bautista) all this while. Gladiator turned British mercenary, Russell Crowe impresses not with his hammy acting but his all-too-cool weaponry that you must see to believe.
Lucy Liu is excellent as the ambiguous Lady Blossom and this marks one of her meatiest big screen performances after “Kill Bill”. Audience who are familiar with Hong Kong cinema will notice a few familiar faces including Andrew Lin playing a nifty warrior dubbed Gemini, an almost unrecognizable Leung Ka Yan in a blink-and-miss cameo, Terence Yin as the Governor and Dennis Chan as an innkeeper.
If the plotting comes across as clunky and the numerous characters one-dimensional, at least the wire-fu choreography by Corey Yuen together with some stomach-churning violence is surprisingly exhilarating and occasionally laugh-out-loud given the absurdity. Yuen actually did better choreography here than his recent Chinese language productions to be honest. Shot in Shanghai and Hengdian Studio, the production aspect on the whole is nothing short of impressive and for those hankering for some nudity bits might be disappointed in spite of some sexual overtones.
The original cut by RZA was over four hours long and he was tasked by Eli Roth to trim the end product to a friendlier running time. It could be this reason why “The Man with the Iron Fists” ended up with such subpar result. That aside, though it didn’t reach Tarantino kind of epic at least we had a lot of fun with this homage. Perhaps getting a few more Shaw veterans such as Ti Lung and Lau Kar Leung might do the trick. Then again, we doubt so.
Movie Rating:
(Cheesy silly homage to the grand old martial-art films of your dad’s generation)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Carles Torrens
Cast: Michael O'Keefe, Kai Lennox, Rick Gonzalez, Fiona Glascott, Gia Mantegna, Damian Roman, Laura Martuscelli
Runtime: 1 hr 20 mins
Rating: PG13 (Horror and Coarse Language)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: -
Opening Day: 8 November 2012
Synopsis: A team of parapsychologists sets out to investigate a series of anomalous phenomena taking place in a newly occupied apartment. Telephone calls with no caller, mysterious shadows, extraordinary light emissions, flying objects, and exploding light bulbs, are some of the events they will face while recording their every step with state-of-the-art technology. Using infra-red filming, digital photography, psychophonic recordings, movement detectors, and magnetic field alteration meters, the group’s attempts to contact the “other side” will grow increasingly dangerous as they near a point of no return...
Movie Review:
Another found-footage horror movie clearly inspired by the success of ‘Paranormal Activity’, ‘Apartment 143’ (or ‘Emergo’ as it is known in Spanish) tries to be smarter than the rest of its ilk by introducing science into the supernatural. So the footage here is provided not by the family being haunted, but a team of three parapsychologists, who with their fanciful scientific equipment, investigates the paranormal activities in an apartment where a single father Alan (Kai Lennox) lives with his young son Benny (Damian Roman) and teen daughter Caitlin (Gia Mantegna).
Alan invites the trio into his eponymous abode to study the hauntings that have followed the family since the death of his wife – and by establishing right from the start that these phenomena continued even after they had moved, writer Rodrigo Cortes lets you know that it is not the house, but the family, that is indeed the cause of the spookings. Dutifully, the team made up of chief scientist Dr. Helzer (Michael O’Keefe), cameraman Paul (Rick Hernandez), and overall assistant Ellen (Fiona Glascott) set up cameras in every room of the house, while also rigging it up with gadgets that are supposed to detect electromagnetic disturbance.
One thing you’ll realise from the start is how enthusiastic the movie is to show off its science, so through several dialogue exchanges at various points in the film with different characters, the scientists take pains to explain just what their gadgets are supposed to do. Some will be quick to dismiss it as mambo-jumbo, but even for the more intellectually-driven members of the audience, we suspect the urge to impress the scientific basis of the investigation just gets too overwhelming after a while.
It doesn’t help that when the jolts actually start, you realise that director Carlos Torrens is simply reaching into the same old bag of tricks as the ‘Paranormal’ movies – unexplained noises, moving objects, creaking doors, and most revealingly people being thrown by mysterious forces. Not even the science feels fresh – the temperature predictably drops whenever some séance is in the room, and the strobe photography (demonstrated in ‘Insidious’) inevitably captures a ghostly image out of the blue.
But most unforgiving is the fact that Cortes abandons the scientific reasoning halfway into the movie - so instead of using their fanciful equipment, Dr Helzer is suddenly trying to talk to the spirit, or getting some medium to reach out into the other dimension which is apparently just 90 centimetres above his (which is meant to justify his ludicrous request of placing a phoneback on his seat). Just as abruptly, Dr Helzer throws in another theory that is meant to build on the tension we’ve witnessed between father and daughter in the first hour.
Herein lies a classic example therefore of a director who tries to make his movie a little bit of everything and grasping at anything that goes. Indeed, no matter how well-orchestrated the mayhem in the climax is, you’ll get the distinct feeling that you were taken on a ride when it conveniently turns into a ‘Poltergeist’. Sure, the filmmakers may justify as part of the theory-debunking process that the parapsychologists had to go through, but the inconsistency by which the hauntings unfold demonstrate that the filmmakers are simply trying to (as they have Dr Helzer say at the end) “have their cake and eat it too”.
Yet to give credit where it’s due, they do manage to engender some sympathy for Alan, whom we are led to suspect did something to Caitlin until the truth comes clear from his own tearful confession of the past. In that respect therefore, there is more plot in this story than there ever was in a single ‘Paranormal Activity’ film, but that potential is somewhat wasted in a movie that ultimately tries to copy the latter too much in an attempt to emulate its success.
And as ‘Apartment 143’ draws to an end, we can’t help thinking that the found-footage craze really should just be put to death. Even the ‘Paranormal’ series that started the wave of such films has pretty much run out of ideas on how to make that gimmick fresh after four additions – and it is not as if any of the other horror films it inspired had anything much to add. In fact, like this very movie, many of them would have been much better off trying to be something different than something similar. Especially for what we suspect was meant to be a plot-driven horror, ‘Apartment 143’ ends up a victim of its own undoing and is likely to be forgotten as soon as the next ‘Paranormal’ clone comes along.
Movie Rating:
(Trying too hard to follow the ‘Paranormal Activity’ formula, this hodgepodge of better horror chillers ends up being muddled and unoriginal)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Superhero/Action
Director: Shane Black
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, Wang Xueqi, Paul Bettany
RunTime: 2 hrs 11 mins
Rating: PG (Violence)
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Singapore
Official Website: http://marvel.com/ironman3
Opening Day: 25 April 2013
Synopsis: Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?
Movie Review:
Tony Stark might be at his best with his gadgets, but ironically his movies are best when he is without them. ‘Iron Man 3’ is a perfect demonstration of that – for the first 40 mins, Stark is the same arrogant, cocksure person he was in the self-important ‘Iron Man 2’; and then after crashing and burning in his damaged suit in the middle of a wintry expanse, Stark is forced to start over, and that rebirth brings back what made the first ‘Iron Man’ so infectiously entertaining in the first place.
Indeed, you’ve been warned – don’t expect ‘Iron Man 3’ to be firing from all cylinders right from the get-go as ‘The Avengers’ did; rather, the road to that payoff is slow and bumpy. After an intriguing prologue set on New Year’s Eve back in 1999 that introduces the billionaire Tony Stark’s advances on an attractive scientist Maya (Rebecca Hall) while brushing off the eager and eccentric think-tank head Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), we get a reunion with Stark that demonstrates the careful planning Marvel has executed over the past five years with their superhero commodities.
This is a ‘post-Avengers’ Stark, traumatised by his near-death experience closing the Chitauri wormhole back in New York. At the expense of sleep and his relationship with the ever-lovely Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Stark throws himself into work – which to him means further refining his ‘Iron Man’ armour. In the meantime, he leaves the heavy lifting to Colonel Rhodes (Don Cheadle), commissioned by the President to fight terror in the War Machine suit (basically the ‘Iron Man’ fighting machine but in the patriotic colours of red, white and blue).
Col Rhodes’ latest target is a terrorist going by the monicker of ‘The Mandarin’, who has brought his war to home soil after targeting US installations abroad. Only when his former driver cum good friend cum recently-promoted Head of Security for Stark Industries, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), is fatally injured does Stark sit up and pay attention, and in an ill-advised and egotistical move, reveal his home address in an outright challenge to The Mandarin. That, as you would already know from the trailer, leaves his oceanside home decimated and Stark in a barely functioning suit in the snow-covered wilds of Tennessee.
Up to this point, a lot of what is meant to pass as wisecracks is exchanged as dialogue among Stark, Potts and Hogan, but the smart-talking isn’t particularly amusing or engaging and gets increasingly tiresome after a while. But as we said at the start, it is precisely when Stark is forced to start over that the movie starts getting into the groove. Abandoning the slick and sleek mechanical tricks and gimmicks, the middle act settles into a surprisingly old-school act in a small-town-USA where Stark had meant to visit to investigate a recent incident which he suspects is linked to The Mandarin.
There, some of the sparkiest repartee unfolds between Stark and a young kid he meets, Harley (Ty Simpson), who will not only enable him to overcome his PTSD but also become an unlikely pre-pubescent sidekick. The rapport between Stark and Harley significantly enlivens the film, with the ‘connection’ (there is a special meaning to the quotation here) between them perhaps the most poignant relationship developed here. Thankfully, the delightfully warm and witty midsection only makes the film better from here onwards.
Surpassing expectations of a straightforward good-versus-bad showdown, veteran action movie screenwriter Shane Black and his first-time feature film writer Drew Pearce engineer a couple of elegant twists, including an ingenious revelation on the true identity of The Mandarin. Not to worry, we’re not in spoiler mode here, but suffice to say that it is probably the very reason why Academy Award-winning actor Ben Kingsley was enticed to the role – despite the apparent cliché of how Brit thespians always get offered such outlandish villainous characters. And with that surprise comes the action that you’ve been waiting for from this summer blockbuster.
Black, who is making his sophomore feature film, offers up two eye-popping set pieces. The first sees a daring attack on Air Force One in mid-air, leaving 13 people in free-fall and a truly exhilarating sequence where Iron Man gets to play ‘barrel of monkeys’ with all of them and guide them to safety. The second is the elaborate and game-changing climax – not only for the fact that it is the first and only time in the whole movie that we see the Iron Legion (aka Stark’s army of 42 centrally guided mechanised suits) in action, but also because it comes to a startling conclusion that re-establishes the dynamic between Stark and Potts. Both are even more astounding considering Black’s last and first movie was a crime caper called ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ that never would have primed you into thinking he was capable of such spectacle.
But one supposes that Robert Downey Jr must have seen that potential in Black to recommend him as the candidate to take over Favreau, the familiarity between actor and director paying off in how the former trusts the latter to take the character in a different direction. While he was vulnerable before, Stark did not have the same attachment as he does here with Potts or the same sense of introspection that is evident in his voiceover. In turn, Downey Jr. gives his best performance as Tony Stark/ Iron Man yet, with a newfound sense of frailty that develops convincingly into humility to match his heroics.
Disagree if you must, but we always loved Stark more when he was less full of himself, and a refreshingly new aspect here is the buddy element that sees Stark pairing first with Harley and then with Col Rhodes. In particular, the finale sees a rousing partnership with the latter – both Downey Jr and Cheadle clearly enjoying trading quips and barbs at each other while saving the day. And given how the ‘Iron Man’ movies have been at their most rousing when Stark rebuilds himself, the last shot of Stark beginning a new phase in his life bodes well for the future of the franchise, especially if it is to continue its life outside of ‘The Avengers’.
If measured against the yardstick of last summer’s Joss Whedon movie, then ‘Iron Man 3’ is surely not on the same level of awesome. But, a tedious start aside, it eventually succeeds to capture the wit and charm of the first film while surpassing it with some nifty twists you’re unlikely to see coming. Stay around too for the bonus after the end credits – that sequence with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) is sure to leave a big smile on your face.
Movie Rating:
(A welcome return to form for the ‘Iron Man’ franchise, this trilogy capper overcomes a weak start to impress with unexpected buddy chemistry, surprising plot twists and most of all, exhilarating action)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Jim Field Smith
Cast: Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde, Hugh Jackman, Alicia Silverstone, Ashley Greene, Yara Shahidi, Rob Corddry, Kristen Schaal, Phyllis Smith
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes & Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/ButterMovie
Opening Day: 1 November 2012
Synopsis: A tale of competition at its most cut-throat, Butter surveys the raw ambition of Laura Pickler (Jennifer Garner), the wife of Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell), Iowa's long-reigning champion butter carver. For 15 years, Laura has relished her high-profile role as the beautiful, loyal helpmate to her affable, artistically gifted husband. But when Bob is pressured to retire and allow someone else a chance at glory, an indignant Laura decides to enter the competition herself. She is first in line on sign-up day, only to see her odds of victory fall below with the arrival of an unlikely yet formidable contender: 10-year-old Destiny (Yara Shahidi), the African-American foster child of local couple Julie and Ethan (Alicia Silverstone and Rob Corddry). And that's not all. Bob's would-be mistress, bad-girl stripper Brooke (Olivia Wilde), also declares her candidacy, as does his #1 fan, Carol-Ann (Kristen Schaal). Facing three opponents, mocked by her stepdaughter Kaitlen (Ashley Greene) and furious with her husband, Laura resolves to do whatever it takes to win. And if that means resorting to sabotage--and recruiting her dim-witted former boyfriend Boyd (Hugh Jackman) as a co-conspirator--then so be it.
Movie Review:
This is probably unheard of in this part of the world: butter sculpturing. Imagine whipping up a swan or antelope (or any other animal for that matter) from the block of butter you purchased from your friendly neighbourhood supermarket – has that even crossed your mind? Apparently this is a rather common sight in the United States, where they are best known as attractions at state fairs. That probably sets the context of this comedy movie directed by Jim Field Smith (She’s Out of My League).
The story takes place in small town Iowa where an adopted girl (black, for a reason, of course) discovers her talent for butter carving. Before she knows it, she is facing strong competition as an ambitious local woman confronts her in their town’s annual butter carving contest. The pitting of wits between the two becomes the centre of attraction of this ensemble piece.
The first thing local audiences will feel is disconnect despite the filmmakers’ attempt at producing a satire that reflects America’s political scene. If one is sharp enough, references to Bill Clinton, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama can be detected. Given the timeliness of the recent American elections, this movie should strike a bell with viewers, but it is most unfortunate that we aren’t the best target audiences when it comes to this genre.
What’s left then, is the ensemble cast which we are familiar with. Jennifer Garner (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, The Invention of Lying) plays the competitive woman who will stop at nothing to retain her husband’s glory at the butter carving competition. She resorts to dirty tricks (which are sometimes hilarious, to be honest), but the effect of Garner’s attempts at comedy wears off after a while. Her husband is played by Ty Burrell (TV’s Modern Family), who does a decent job of portraying a man who has big dreams, but may not have the competencies to get there. Taking on the role of the likeable protagonist is Yara Shahidi (Salt, Imagine That), who manages to hold her own ground without being overshadowed by her more popular Hollywood counterparts. Elsewhere, supporting actors like Rob Corddry, Olivia Wilde and Ashley Greene deliver acceptable but unremarkable performances.
While the movie tries its best at being a satire, it doesn’t give it the best shot. As a serious drama, the dramatic elements come short. As a comedy, there are shortcomings which leave viewers wanting more. The filmmakers have also evidently tried their best to up the star factor by featuring Hugh Jackman and Alicia Silverstone in cameo roles, but they do not value add to the production except the occasional chuckle.
It is a waste of potential and talents then, because the premise of the screenplay by Jason Micallef does seem to promise lots of intelligent laughs, and the cast seems to put in their all to make the story work. Instead, what we get is a mediocre and probably unforgettable movie that is better suited for the goggle box at home.
Movie Rating:
(There is potential in this satire, but the half hearted production makes it mediocre)
Review by Fabian Foo
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E.T Cyclethon eventPosted on 30 Oct 2012 |
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THE DARK KNIGHT RISES ARRIVES ONTO BLU-RAY/DVD COMBO PACK ON NOVEMBER 28 and DVD IN DECEMBERPosted on 24 Oct 2012 |
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Geraldine Chaplin, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast
RunTime: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: PG13 (Disturbing Scenes and Brief Nudity)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.theimpossible-movie.com/
Opening Day: 17 January 2013
Synopsis: Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand, looking forward to a few days in tropical paradise. But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas festivities the night before, a terrifying roar rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of black water races across the hotel grounds toward her. Based on a true story, THE IMPOSSIBLE is the unforgettable account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. But the true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives. Epic, intimate, devastating and uplifting, THE IMPOSSIBLE is a journey to the core of the human heart.
Movie Review:
No circumstance has the power to unleash the potential of the human spirit as potently as that of an epic tragedy, and ‘The Impossible’, set against the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, is an ode to the ability of mankind to rise above the most awful circumstances. Based on a true story, it takes an intimate approach to chronicle the devastation and destruction of the disaster through the eyes of a family who were separated from each other in the aftermath but managed to reunite with one another after many harrowing days apart.
When we first meet the family, they are on a plane to Thailand, having booked their Christmas vacation at the Orchid Beach Resort in Chao Lak. British-born businessman Henry Bennett (Ewan MacGregor) reveals himself to be quite the worrier, fretting over whether they had set the alarm to their house even after his wife Maria (Naomi Watts) repeatedly reassures him that she had done so. The couple have three boys – Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast) – but more attention is spent on the eldest, Lucas, precocious and reluctant to indulge the childish whims of his younger brothers.
Not a single frame here is wasted, and the few detailing their two days of bliss before the catastrophe establish Henry and Maria as a loving couple not without their worries of supporting the family, as well as the dynamic between the three boys. Then, true to the nature of the calamity, tragedy strikes out of the blue one peaceful Boxing Day morning, the impact of the 98-foot high waves carrying all sorts of debris separating Maria and Lucas from Henry, Thomas and Simon.
The vivid reconstruction of those terrifying moments when the wave hit is stunning. By seamlessly integrating on-location sets with CGI-ed footage shot inside an artificial water tank, the 10-minute sequence fully immerses you into the moment, letting you feel the fear, helplessness and sheer terror of Maria and Lucas as they struggle to stay together amid the swirling waves. The sound design in this respect is outstanding, cutting between moments of silence when either one dips below the surface of the water to the sound of crashing water when they manage to lift their heads – and the elemental quality of the filmmaking gives the entire sequence a raw vise-like intensity.
While you would expect a reprieve after that gripping scene-setter, what comes next proves to be equally riveting. Besides emphasising their peril made worse by the extent of Maria’s injuries – in particular, a deep gash on her right leg right behind the knee - another equally compelling theme is found in mankind’s ability to exhibit noble compassion despite one’s situation. Three instances of that is demonstrated – first, when Maria insists that Lucas search for the source of a child’s cry for help (it turns out to be a small boy named Daniel); second, when a group of Thai villagers whom Maria and Lucas chance upon go out of their way to help Maria get to the hospital for medical attention; and thirdly, when Lucas takes it upon himself at the hospital to help others locate their loved ones amidst the vast compound.
Rather than switching between the separated couple, the first half of the movie after the tsunami is devoted to Maria and Lucas’ ordeal, up until the point when she is hospitalised. Then a change in perspective shows Henry, with Thomas and Simon in tow, frantically searching for the whereabouts of his wife, refusing to give up even though the staggering number of dead bodies around might have given pause to his hope that Maria might have made it out alive.
Because Henry is in a much better physical state than Maria, this side of the story is slightly less harrowing than the first; nonetheless, a particular noteworthy scene is the one where Henry calls home to find out if Maria had previously contacted his parents and breaks down uncontrollably. It is the first time a character is seen to be overcome with despair, and the surest indication of just how judiciously the movie had rejected mawkish sentimentality despite how straightforward that would have been.
The same restraint is demonstrated later on when the family finally finds one another, and the immediate sequence preceding that is an excellently shot one that melds the points-of-view from the various family members with a will-they-or-won’t-they suspense built up with a string of near-misses. Kudos to director J.A. Bayona for the elegance he brings to that sequence, carefully controlling the emotions from going hysterical or melodramatic and using Fernando Velazquez’s score to emphasise the feelings of anxiety, relief and eventually overwhelming joy.
His sophomore feature after the atmospheric Spanish horror ‘The Orphanage’, Bayona strikes an impressive balance between realism and dramatization, such that the scenarios are dramatized with the utmost respect for emotional realism. The re-enactment of the tsunami is a towering achievement in itself, but easily overlooked here is how Bayona manages to marshal hundreds of extras within the hospital compound to convey the magnitude of the disaster.
Bayona is also aided by excellent performances from Naomi Watts and Ewan MacGregor. Watts is startlingly convincing as the mother who finds herself slipping away quickly even as she tries to hold out against hope that her husband and two other children are safe. It is as unpretentious a performance as any, and the actress pretty much disappears into the role. Next to Watts, MacGregor conveys keenly the fear and desperation of his character searching for the whereabouts of the rest of his family. In addition, British stage actor Tom Holland proves to be quite a revelation here, holding your attention with a heartfelt performance as his character is forced to mature in order to rise up to the occasion.
In 'The Impossible', Bayona eschews the narrative convention of such disaster movies to tell an utterly riveting portrait of the power of the human spirit. This is one of the most harrowing disaster movies that we have seen in recent years, not just for its depiction of the disaster alone but also in its portrayal of the destruction and devastation in the aftermath. Bleak and realistic though it may be, but it eventually packs such a potent emotional punch in delivering a life-affirming message about hope and humanity that only the hardest of hearts would not be moved.
Movie Rating:
(Masterfully balancing the terror of the disaster with the vivid emotions of the characters, this portrait of a family’s ordeal following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is an incredibly moving portrait of hope, perseverance and compassion)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Comedy
Director: Leslye Headland
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Rebel Wilson, Adam Scott, James Marsden, Kyle Bornheimer, Hayes MacArthur, Arden Myrin, Ella Rae Peck, Andrew Rannells
RunTime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scene, Drug Use and Coarse Language)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films & InnoForm Media
Official Website: http://bachelorettemovie.com/
Opening Day: 13 December 2012
Synopsis: On the night before an old friend's wedding, three frisky bridesmaids go searching for a little fun but find much more than they bargained for. With lovely Becky (Rebel Wilson) set to marry her handsome sweetheart, Dale (Hayes MacArthur), the remaining members of her high school clique reunite for one last bachelorette bacchanal in the Big Apple. Regan (Kirsten Dunst) is an overachieving, ueber-Maid of Honor who's secretly smarting over the fact that she's not the first to marry, while Gena (Lizzy Caplan) is a whip-smart sarcastic who's actually a closet romantic, and Katie (Isla Fisher) is a ditzy beauty who loves the good life. But when Becky insists on keeping the bachelorette party tame, the women proceed with an after-hours celebration of their own.
Movie Review:
Bachelorette opens with one of the cutest moments in recent memory. “I’ll get the Cobb salad with no chicken, no bacon, no cheese, no avocado,” declares Regan in one glib, hurriedly pronounced sentence that will put even the most conscious eater on this side of the world to shame. Her plus-size friend, Becky, shoots the waitress a shy smile as if she wanted to apologise for Regan’s curtness. Instead, she chimes in: “I’ll get the burger and fries with her cheese, her bacon. Don’t bring the dessert menu. I already know I want the cheesecake.” That would be it, except Regan breaks into a lecture on the likelihood of Becky being dumped by guys only to be forced into a sarcastic grin when Becky reveals that she’s getting married.
Regan clearly has great respect for Becky, but no amount of love and happiness between the two friends can prevent the ennui-filled Regan from gushing baloney about how she deserves to be the first in their high school clique to marry because she is slim. Their two other high school mates, Gena and Katie, are equally jealous though their regular drug-fuelled escapades might suggest they have no right to. So on the night before Becky’s ceremony, Regan, Gena and Katie decide to take one last jab at Becky’s size by fitting themselves into Becky’s wedding dress, Regan and Katie in the dress at once to be exact. Unsurprisingly, the dress tears, leaving the ceremony in jeopardy hours before it is set to commence.
The movie may have seemed destined to be plastered to the raging trajectory of The Hangover and Bridesmaids, the latter an obvious antecedent, but Bachelorette, adapted from a stage play, never reaches for the more tempting slapstick comedy or the dizzying heights of entertainment delivered by raucous adventures. This is a quieter movie that’s far more invested in characters’ emotions, especially in learning how to sacrifice overwhelming jealousy in order to be truly happy for someone and in reflecting on the progress of one’s life against the backdrop of someone’s success. This isn’t necessarily bad news – even unique to genre storytelling – yet Bachelorette’s misguided script leaves it half buried in mediocrity.
That’s not to speak ill of the multiple character story arcs at play here. Regan eventually overcomes her jealousy to prove that she can be a reliable Maid of Honour, fully committed to the wedding and willing to go to great lengths to ensure that Becky’s wedding is as successful as it can be. Gena repairs a failed relationship while Katie, the most emotionally fragile of the friends and one who is ready to sleep with any guy within an inch of her, finally finds one who steers clear from taking advantage of her and loves her for who she is. Each bridesmaid has little moments of revelations and it’s really a perfect ending to see each emerge from the wedding a better person.
Unfortunately, none of these arcs feel like they need to be in this movie. They can, because they are drawn to a common theme of commitment and romance, both of which big parts of marriage, but this is not completely unrelated to the process of haphazardly stitching together individual stories and trying to package them into a barely legitimate, feel-good movie like New Year’s Eve (2011). There’s an alarming lack of direction in Bachelorette: Nothing is quite as befuddling as figuring out how Katie might have helped make Becky’s wedding a success when she spends most of her screen time in a drunken stupor and begging her newfound love to have sex with her.
To give credit where it’s due, Bachelorette is an almost faithful translation of its stage version, but the movie might have fared better had more creative liberties been taken with the material. The dialogue-heavy script is wrapped in pages of vulgarities amidst well-mannered intentions and viewers are treated so tirelessly to where’s-my-cocaine jokes on rewind that it becomes a chore to sit through the movie. It’s hard to recommend Bachelorette. If you’re looking for a brilliant chick flick, Bridesmaids is a video rental away. If you’re looking for romantic comedies, there’s a tall pile of them lying around.
Movie Rating:
(Great character drama unfolds here, but an alarming lack of direction and overused jokes leave Bachelorette half buried in mediocrity)
Review by Loh Yong Jian
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Disney to Buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion and STAR WARS: EPISODE 7 feature film in 2015.Posted on 31 Oct 2012 |
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